Tapping-machine.



Basi SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTBD NW10, 190s.

R.- c. LEWIS. A TAPPING M'AGHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3, 1903.

No mmm..

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PATENTED NOV. l0, 1903.

R. C. LEWIS.

TAPPING MAGHINE.

APPLWATIQN FILED JUNI; a, 19o3.

N0 IODEL.

PATENTED NOV. 10,1903.

R. C; LEWIS. TAPPING MACHINE. MPLIUATION FILED JUNE a, lans.

4 'SHEETS-SHEET 3.

N0 MODEL.

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No. 743,737. PATENTED Nov. 1o, 1903. R G LEWIS TAPPING MACHINE.

APPLIGATION FILED JUNE 3, 1903.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

UNITED STArss.l

raten/eti Noveminer 1o, 190e.

PATENT Fries.

ROLLIN `CARROLL LEWIS, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO VARLEY DUPLEX' MAGNET COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY. Y

TAPPlNG-MACHINE.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 743,737', dated November 10, 1903. Application filed une 3, 1903. Serial No. l 59.951. (No model.)

Elo a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that LROLLIN CARROLL LEWIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Stamford, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tapping-Machines, of which the following is a full,'clear, and eX- act description. i

This invention relates to tapping-machines, and is a special machine of its class designed to tap holes in the ends of short rods or pins. The machine is duplex and automatic in its action, since it embodies two vtapsV or sets which are alternately brought into operation upon the rods or'pins supplied or fed at two different point-s in the machine. Each set of taps preferably'includes two or more acting simultaneously and respectively upon two or more of the rods or pins, the taps being grad nated in size and acting successively on each rod or pin, so as to cut the thread in stages.

The invention consists of the constructions and combinations hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a plan of the complete machine with parts in section and other part-s broken out for clearness. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the machine With parts brokenaway. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the machine with parts in section. Fig. 4 is a section on line-xtcof Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of the middle portion of the machine. Fig. 6 is a section on line y y of Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a portion of Fig. 6, showing a different position of the parts. Fig. 8 is a section on line e' of Fig. 2, and Figs. 9 and l0 Vare perspective views of two diierent cams.

A is the main frame of the machine,.con sisting, essentially, of a fiat top or table with depending plates reaching toward the door. .Above the table is mounted a short horizontal shaft a., fixed in bearings a', between which are arranged two loose pulleys a2 and a3, driven in opposite directions by belts a4 and each forming one-half of a clutch mem? ber. Between the pulleys is a loose sleeve b,

having at each end a clutch member adapted to engage, respectively, with the pulleys. 5o This sleeve also carries a large gear-wheel b',

ions.

centrally located and embraced at the rear by two antitriction-rollers carried on the upper end of a lever h2, pivoted at the point b3 and extending downward through an opening in the table,whereits lower end enters a sleeve b4. The extremity of this sleeve iswedgeshaped, and it contains a spring b5, permitting it to telescope more or less over the end of the level'. This lever is used to throw the sleeve to the right or left into and ont of engagement with the pulleys to change the direction'of rotation of thegearh'. The gear engages with two elongated pinions c and c', respectively fixed upon two shafts c2 and c3, mounted to both rotate and slide in brackets c4. These 'shafts have a reciprocatory movement to right and left, and the pinions are elongated so that the gear will remain in engagement with them in all of ltheir positions. Shafts c2 and c3 project beyond their bearings and carry chucks ci", in which the taps c6 and 'c7 at each'end are held. The upper taps c6 are smaller than the lower taps, and the article to be tapped is first engaged by the upper or smaller taps and then` by the larger, as will hereinafter appear. The reciprocation of the shafts c2 and c3 is obtained by means of a plate ol, arranged below the table, from which project upwardly two arms d' and cl2, carrying blocks cl3 at their upper ends, located eachv side of the two elongatedpinions and between the shafts on which they are mounted, said blocks each carrying two pins d4, projecting, respectively, against the ends of thetwo pinions. The pins d4 have springs d5 backing them up in the block, so that they will yield to. extraordinary resistance when they are pressed against the pin- The plate d carries pins d6, which pass through slots' in the frame of the machine and are capped by nuts 617, and on the same pins are mounted rollers digwhich engage, re-

lspectively,with cam-disks e and e on a shaft e2. The disks have oppositely arranged tracks, so that .in the rotation of the shaft the plate d will be gradually moved back and forth to tlie right and left, 'such movement causing the pinions and the shafts c2 and c3 to correspondingly reciprocate. AShaft e2 is driven by means of a worm-gear e3 and worm e4 on a shaft e5. This shaft is driven by means of a loose pulley e6 and belt e7. The hub of the pulley has a yielding clutch engagement with a fixed collar e8 on the shaft. The clutch (indicated at e9) is held in engagement by a spring 610, the tensionof which can be adjusted by a nut en. yThis arrangement is provided to allow the clutch to open and the shaft e2 to stop in case the machine sticks in operation, land thus prevent breakage. On the shaft e2 and located between the two disks e and e is another cam,

f, having a peripheral cam-groove f and twoy wedge-shaped lugs f2 and f3, one on each side and at diametrically opposite positions. Groove j" engages with a lug or roller g on a crank-arm g', fixed to a vertical shaft g2, suitably mounted in a bracket at the front of the machine. rihe cam oscillates the shaft g2 first in one direction and then in the other, with intervals between the movements during which the tapping is done. The upper end of the shaft carries a iattened lug g3, which coperates with the other parts, as will vbe hereinafter described. At the back of the machine below the table is mounted another sliding plate, h, connected by pins and slots with the plate of the main frame in a manner similar to that with which the plate d is connected. Plate h carries two rollers h', one at each end, which stand in positions to be engaged by the respective lugs f2 and f3 on camf. First one lug acts and moves the plate in one direction, and after a half-turn the other lug engages the other roller and moves the plate in the opposite direction. On its upper edge the plate has a Wedgeshaped projection h2, which engages with the wedge-shaped end of the sleeve b4. When plate h is moved in one direction, it causes the sleeve to ride upward on the projection h2, meanwhile telescoping over the end of lever b2, and when the apexes of the two wedgeshaped formations pass each other the tension which has been stored in spring b5 causes the sleeve to quickly slide down the opposite side of projection h2 and at the same time throw lever b2 to the opposite position. This throws out one clutch and throws in the other to reverse the direction of rotation of gear b.

At each end of the machine above the table are arranged the feed-hoppers for the articles to be tapped and the devices for holding said articles while being acted upon by the taps. The feed-hopper is an inclined guide or chute consisting of two guides i and t" engaging the ends of the rods or pins j, which are placed therein one above the other and adapted to move downward by gravity each time one is removed from the lower end of the chute. The guide t" is made adjustable laterally by means of the screw-shaft i2 in a Well-known manner.

Each disk contains four half- At the lower end of the chute are round seats k2, arranged at similar angular displacements from each other, so that as the shaft 7a4 is rotated two of the seats, one in each disk, are presented to the lower rodj at the same time, thereby permitting the rod to leave the chute and enter the two disks, which then in continuing their rotation present their curved peripheries to the end of the chute and prevent the neXt rod from leaving it until another pair of seats are presented to receive it. The disk 7c has a portion k3 of enlarged diameter, forming a radial shoulder, against which the ends of the rods j find a backing or abutment, and this disk is adjustable longitudinally along the shaft 7a4 to accom modate the various lengths of rods adapted to be tapped on the machine, this adjustment being eected at the same time that the adjustment of the guide vl is made. The enlarged part las of the disk is shown with a milled surface, because it is a separate part, which when screwed upon the main part of the disk the finest adjustments of the distance between the backing and disk 7c can be accomplished. The tapping is simultaneously performed on the two rods seated in the front side of theydisks-that is to say, the disks after receiving a rod on the rear side are turned to bring it to the front side into a position in line with the tap. In order to hold the rod immovable in its seat while the tap is acting upon it, the shoe 'm is provided. This shoe has'a curved face adapted to bear simultaneously against the two rods on the front of the holder and hold them by frictional engagement from rotation. The shoe is carried on the end of a lever m', pivoted at m2, and with its opposite end against the fiattened end g3 on the vertical shaft g2. When this shaft oscillates in one direction, it throws the end ofthe lever outward and the shoe at the other end inward, where it is held during the tapping operation. WV'hen the tapping is iinished, the shaft g2 oscillates in the opposite direction, and thus releases the pressure from the rods, permitting them to be moved, with the disks lc and lo', to another position. It will be seen that there are two of the levers m and that they are moved in opposite directions simultaneously by the central vertical shaft g2, so that while the rods are clamped on one side of the machine they are free on the other.

The movements of the disks k and 7c' are accomplished by devices now to be described. On the outer end of shaft k2 is another disk, 0, having four pins 0 projecting from its outer face. These pins are adapted to be IOO struck by an upwardly-thrust bolt 02, each movement of which rotates the shaft ninety degrees, or from the position shown in Fig. 6 to that shown in Fig. 7. The side of the bolt is cut away to prevent the pin next following the one acted upon from interference withi the bolt. This bolt is moved upward by a cam o3 on the shaft e2, said cam engaging with the lower end of the bolt, while a spring ol re- ,turns the bolt after being lifted. In the return movement the bolt has a freel lateral movementin the opening in the frame through which it passes to permit it to clear the pins. Having moved the shaft a quartenturn, it is necessary to lock it in position while the tapping is being done, and for this purpose a` second bolt p is provided, which engages' with one of four notches o5 in the periphery ot' disk '0. This bolt is carried at the end of a leverp', pivoted at p2 and having a stubby curved tailpiece p3, adapted to be engaged by another cam or crank p4 on theshaft e2. This cam releases the bolt from the disk with a quick movement. It then rides against the periphery of the disk until another notch is presented, when spring p5 throws it into engagement therewith. This arrangement of cams and locking devices occurs on both ends of the machine, the same letters indicating corresponding parts.

The operation of the machine is as follows: Power being applied through one of the belts a4, gear b rotates both pinions c and c in the same direction, which direction we will assume to be proper for tapping with the set of taps to the right on Fig. l. plied at the same time to shaft c2 causes the cam e' to actuate the plate ct and force the pins d4 against the pinions to feed the taps into the two rods or pins j presented to them by the work-holder. The shafts c2 and c8 move to the right and rotate simultaneously, the taps cutting their way into the drilled openings in the ends of the rods. When the full depth has been tapped, the cam projection f2 acts upon plate h and lever h2 to reverse the direction of rotation of shafts c2 and c3. At the same time cam e commences' to move plate d in the opposite direction, and the reciprocating motion of said shafts is also reversed. Simultaneouslywithorimmediately after such reversals the shaft g2 is oscillated by the cam f', whereupon the lever m to the right is tilted in one direction to release the tapped rods in the holder on that side of the machine, while the other lever m is moved in the opposite direction to grip the rods in the holder on the other side of the machine. The reversed rotary and reciprocatory motion of shafts c2 and c3 withdraws the taps on one side while simultaneously forcing those on the other side into the two rods held in position to receive them, and they are tapped in the same manner as those on the other end of the machine. As soon as the rods on the right-hand end have been released by the lever fm the bolt p is withdrawn from disk o and bolt o2 forced to rotate the disk a quarterturn. This brings the rod which was tapped by the smaller tap into position to be tapped by the larger tap and carries an untapped rod into position to be tapped bythe smaller tap, while the rod which was finished by the larger tap is carried clear of the shoe m and allowed to drop from the seat in the holdingdisk to the inclined chute (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 8) leading .to a suitable receptacle for the finished articles. Thus when the tapping is finished on the left side of the machine the new work is in position to be tapped on the right side, and the reversal of increases of friction, and it is only when extraordinary friction is created that the clutch opens.

It will be seen that the machine is entirely automatic, it being only necessary to keep the chute t' t" supplied with the articles to be tapped.

A suitable lubricant, such as oil or soapsuds, will be direct-ed against the taps during the cutting operation by any suitable means. n When pins or rods of different lengths are to be tapped, the size of the chute and the position of the back-stop k3 are adjusted in the manner hereinbefore described.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. In a tapping-machine, the combination of two taps, two corresponding movable seats for the Work, feed-hoppers adapted to deliver the work to the seats, two clamps cooperating with the respective seats to hold the work therein, means for alternately bringing the seats into cooperative position with the taps and means for alternately operating the clamps, substantially as described.

2.- In' a tapping-machine, the combination cfa plurality of tap-carrying shafts, a workholder cooperating with all of said shafts, an arm adapted to engage all of the shafts to vfeed them forward and independently-yielding connections between said arm and each shaft, substantially as described.

` 3. In a tapping-machine, the combination of two rotary and reciprocatory shafts, taps carried at each end of each shaft, a single wheel engaging and rotating both shafts, two reciprocating arms each adapted tovengage both shafts to reciprocate them and two workholders cooperating with the taps at each end of the two shafts, substantially as described. y e. In a tapping-machine for tapping holes in the ends of short rods or pins, a workholder consisting of two disks having seats in their peripheries for the rods or pins, a chute arranged to deliver the rods or pins into the seats one by one, means for rotating the disks step by step to bring the rods or pins into po sition to be tapped, a clamp adapted to hold two pins at once in their respective seats, and two taps adapted to act simultaneouslyv upon the two clamped rods or pins, substantially as described.

5. In a tappingmachine, the combination of a rotary holder for the work, a plurality of seats in the holder for the work,a single clamp IOOl IIO

adapted to engage the work in two of the seats at once,.two taps acting simultaneously upon the clamped Work, a disk on the same axis with the holder and having notches in its periphery, means for rotating the disk step by step and means for locking the disk aftei each movement, substantially as described.

6. In a tappineg-machine'7 the combination of two holders for the work, two clamps adapted to lock the work in the respective holders, an oscillating shaft simultaneously actuating both clamps, releasing one and locking the other and two taps acting alternately upon the Work in the two holders, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I subscribe my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROLLIN CARROLL LEWIS.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM H. BERTINE, y WILLARD H. RoosA. 

